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Eat, Sing and Be Merry: Music is the Food of Fun

New research from SOCAN shows that music has a substantially positive impact on dining and shopping experience. (CNW Group/SOCAN) Facebook Twitter Pinterest

New research from SOCAN shows that music has a substantially positive impact on dining and shopping experience. (CNW Group/SOCAN)

Research finds Canadians have an even better time when music sets the
tone

TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2015 /CNW/ - As Canada gets set to make the most of the
holiday season, eating, drinking and merry music are on everyone's
list, and restaurants, retailers and even grocery stores should turn up
the dial to keep customers happy and spending more.

A new research study1 by SOCAN and Leger, The Research Intelligence Group shows that music has a
substantially positive impact on dining and shopping, with 78 per cent
of Canadians revealing that hearing music in a restaurant makes them
enjoy their food and drink more and almost three-quarters say it makes
them want to stay longer.

Among other findings, 84 per cent of bar, restaurant and retail owners
surveyed credit music for helping to create a more positive experience,
while two-thirds of the Canadian public agreed that music impacts their
decision to return to or recommend a restaurant. In fact, more than
two-thirds of business owners said that live music attracts more
customers, and more than half agreed that live music gives them an edge
over their competition.

"Music is the food of fun, so play on!" said Leslie Craig, SOCAN's
Director of Licensing. "The results from our Food & Music Survey
support the fact that Canadian businesses and their customers agree
that music is integral to enjoying food and drink and to staying in a
restaurant, bar or retail store longer."

More highlights of the SOCAN Food & Music Study:

Canadians enjoy their food and beverages more with music - 70 per cent of Canadian diners say that hearing music makes them more
likely to stay longer, and half say that live music in a restaurant
would make them want to eat and drink more.

Silence isn't golden, it's awkward - more than a quarter (28%) of Canadians say they would have a negative
reaction to being in a restaurant without music and, of those, 43 per
cent say they'd be unlikely to return and 20 per cent say they'd feel
the need to leave.

Live music is in good taste - 75 per cent of Canadians say they enjoy food and drink more when they
hear live music they like.

Licensed To Play - 34 per cent of Canadians said that if they knew a restaurant was paying
its legal and fair license for music, it would influence their decision
to go there.

The same can be said for grocery and retail stores. More than half of
Canadians said they are likely to enjoy their shopping experience more
when they hear music in a retail store. About one-third even admit to
dancing or singing in grocery store aisles, and 25 per cent said would
be likely to inquire about music being played.

Louis McNeil, owner of District Saint-Joseph restaurant in Québec City,
understands the power of attraction and retention that music brings.
Music even influences his restaurant's food and beverage offerings:
"Our goal is to make people discover new music at the same time as they
discover our food and, to achieve this, we program two to three live
music performances per week, and our restaurant is also a venue for
record launches and other such industry events. We live it daily.
Because of music, our patrons stay longer and our sales increase. Music
is definitely a big part of our customer's experience."

While music helps to build the experience for consumers, it also rewards
the more than 125,000 businesses using licensed music to make their
business better and compensate music creators fairly for their work.
Businesses that are Licensed To Play with SOCAN know the value that
music always adds, and especially during the holidays.

1 Survey of 1,500 Canadians (probability sample of the same size would
yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20) and 270 SOCAN
licensed businesses (probability sample of the same size would yield a
margin of error of +/- 5.8%, 19 times out of 20) who were randomly
selected.

About SOCANSOCAN is a member-based organization that represents the Canadian performing
rights of more than four-million Canadian and international music
creators and publishers. SOCAN is proud to play a leading role in
supporting the long-term success of its more than 130,000 Canadian
members, and the Canadian music ecosystem overall. SOCAN licenses more
than 125,000 businesses in Canada, and distributes royalties to its
members and music rights organizations around the world. SOCAN also
distributes royalties to its members for the use of their music
internationally in collaboration with its peer societies. www.socan.ca